June 28, 2015

Rasmalai at Himalaya Sweets in Richmond

We remained on the corner of No. 5 Road and Cambie in east Richmond, across the street though again in a strip mall anchored by a larger Shoppers Drug Mart.

Himalaya Sweets is a throw back to a simpler time in restaurant decor. It actually reminds me of the Chinese-Canadian restaurants that dotted the prairie provinces in the latter part of the last century, with their basic appearance, friendly service, and the all-you-can-eat buffet.

The daughters have chosen Himalaya Sweets for dessert. and there is large assortment of traditional Indian sweets and more, including gulab jamun, rasgulah, kulfi and mango ice cream. Our choice was the rasmalai.

The name comes from two words in Hindi, ras, meaning juice, and malai, meaning cream. Rasmalai has been described as cheesecake without a crust. I'm not sure about that description as this was better than most cheese cakes.

The cream is sweet. The pressed paneer balls are soaked in the clotted cream concoction and it's all flavoured with cardamom. Delicious.

Himalaya Sweets is a strange little place. I'm not a fan of buffet style restaurants, though the dishes looked appealing enough. Reviews of this restaurant suggest a fantastic butter chicken, though for me, I'd come back for the rasmalai and a chai.